Christmas is Coming! AHHHH! How About a Good Book?

Okay, so every year I seem to “miss the boat” on early bird holiday shopping because I simply refuse to accept that it is never too early to shop for Christmas gifts. So there I’ll be, one week away from the big day and empty handed again. This year will be different. Apparently, holiday buying begins the day after Halloween now; I’ll be there this year—or here!

We all love books, and one reason many visit this Blog is because they have written and published a book (or two) of their own. So before any of us goes out to purchase a gift book for the holidays, how about we share what we ourselves have available?

I welcome all published authors to use the comment section on this post to list their book titles, description, and where they can be ordered. I also encourage all Blog visitors to check out the comments and see if perhaps the perfect gift is waiting there!

Happy early holiday!

The Best of The Tour Re-Visited

Back in October, I went on a virtual book tour and visited many useful Websites and Blogs for writers. For those of you who are newer visitors to this blog, I have re-posted a few of those tour stops. Enjoy and "WRITE ON!"

Wednesday, HERE OF COURSE! (This stop is more of a bio)
Thursday, TOPIC – “Writing & Publishing Non-fiction” Visit Audrey’s Blog at AUDREY'S BLOG
Friday, TOPIC – “Writing & Publishing Fiction” Visit Cute Writing: Creative Writing Help at Cute Writing
Saturday, TOPIC – “Marketing Mistakes”, Visit John Kremer’s Book Marketing Forum
Sunday, TOPIC –“Connecting With Your Market” Visit My Funny Dad, Harry Blog
Monday, TOPIC – “Writing as a Business” Visit Creatif
Tuesday, TOPIC – “Marketing Discussion” Visit Plain & Simple Books
Wednesday, TOPIC – “Genre” Visit Writ, Written, Wrote
Thursday, TOPIC – “General Discussion” Visit A Book Inside Forum
Friday, TOPIC – “Publishing Options” Visit A Stress Free Life

The Secret to Success: The Writing Phase

Dreaming of becoming the next best-selling author? Hoping to move thousands upon thousands of books on your own? Before putting that pen to paper, do some research! Success at any level is determined long before the book is written.

It is said that a fiction author writes out of passion while a non-fiction author writes with profit in mind. While this is not the case every time, non-fiction writers tend to possess a target audience or marketing strategy before they begin. Their research is based on a perceived need. So, before we pour our heart and soul into a project, we need to confirm that an audience awaits our work.

Two factors determine most book purchases- author reputation and subject matter. Most readers are faithful to a handful of authors, which places an unknown at a distinct disadvantage. A new author stands a better chance when the subject matter is the primary concern. However, he or she will still face competition. The writer must possess the necessary expertise to stand out from other masters in the field.

The first step in determining marketability is selecting a genre. The Book Industry Systems Advisory Committee lists forty-six major categories and numerous subcategories. We must locate a genre that fits our proposed book, or perhaps several general categories. It is one thing in this industry to appear unique, but a book without a genre will only die in obscurity.

Now we must determine if our genre possesses an audience. This requires that we research the book industry, both online and physical. We must discover the current trends and confirm our editorial niche. Who is our competition? Which authors and publishers boast similar works? We must ascertain if we possess the required expertise and can produce a book that falls within the word count of our genre. This step is vital, because we can’t prepare for battle if we don’t understand the enemy.

Ultimately, we must consider the marketability of our work. How many books are currently available on the topic? Is our niche too big or too small? A book that teaches cats how to dance might have little appeal beyond the country’s crazy cat ladies! Our subject must attract a reasonably sized audience, but we can’t make the appeal too broad. No one has ever written a book every wants! The wider the audience, the more difficult it will be to focus our promotions. It is better to stay with a target market that is clear and defined.

Once we’ve established a market for our book, we need to create a reader profile. Basically, who are these people? Determine details such as age, gender, location, income bracket, and lifestyle. We may find our book has a regional appeal or is more apt to be read by women than men. A reader profile fills in these little details.

One of the most important aspects is the recreational activity of our audience. Where does our potential reader shop? What magazines does this person read? What websites or blogs does our audience visit, and do they frequent social sites? Our books must be available where our readers shop, both on and offline, and this does not always entail a bookstore. These details are vital if we want to reach our target market. Our promotional efforts need to focus on these items and specific locations. Why waste time with interviews or articles if they do not reach our target audience?

Not all book sales are created equal, either! One market we need to consider is large-volume sales to businesses. Will our book tie in with an organization or non-profit group? Would it make an excellent gift or sales incentive for a business? Could our book be required reading at an academic level? Selling 5000 books to one group is easier than selling the same amount of books to 5000 individuals. Explore this option in depth, especially if the work is non-fiction. A large pre-publication sale would be quite comforting indeed!

We cannot overlook the power of endorsements, either. Create a list of individuals or businesses that might endorse the book. Look to other experts in the field. We should not be afraid to approach qualified professionals in our field of work- we’ll never know unless we ask! Consider authors of the genre as well. Endorsements and blurb from these experts will add to a book’s appeal, solidifying our credibility and ultimately boosting sales.

The writing phase is the best time to consider possibilities beyond the initial book, too. We need to think long-term! Will there be magazine excerpts? Do we foresee foreign rights and multiple translations? Perhaps even a movie or television event connected with the book? These situations may appear larger than life, but even possibilities as simple as an E-book, book on CD, or the potential of a continuing series should be considered. A great idea often spawns other inventions or tie-in products. The money created outside of the actual books by a certain wizard series should be motivation enough for the rest of us to think beyond our initial book!

The final item to consider is our publishing path. Most author hopefuls complete their book and then wonder what to do next! Before we finish our masterpiece, we should decide if we want to submit our work to a publisher or do it on our own. Those seeking publication should form a list of presses currently accepting our genre. Explore the Literary Market Place or Writer’s Market, and visit each publisher’s website for submission guidelines. Those intending to self-publish need to read every publishing and promoting book on the market and conduct extensive online research. Regardless of our chosen path, we need to understand the book industry if we hope to be successful.

To a writer, there is no greater joy than the act of writing. We can’t forget the big picture, though! Without a marketable product, a target audience, or a publishing plan, our creation will never see the light of day. If we do the research first, we’ll give ourselves a better chance for success.

Article contributed by Author & Professional Speaker, L. Diane Wolfe, www.spunkonastick.net, www.thecircleoffriends.net

Please leave any comments for Ms. Wolfe below.

SPECIAL Interview With Danny O. Snow

Harvard graduate Danny O. Snow has been widely quoted about new publishing technologies by major broadcast and print media coast-to-coast, including AP, NPR, UPI, The Los Angeles Times, The Wall Street Journal and others. He serves as a Senior Fellow of the Society for New Communications Research (SNCR.org), a global think tank based in Palo Alto, dedicated to the advanced study of new and emerging media. He has also served as a contributing editor to BookTech: The Magazine for Publishers, and as a panelist and moderator at national publishing events such as the North American Publishing Company's "PrintMedia" expos and PMA's "Publishing University."

Carol Denbow: Welcome Danny. Wow, you have an expansive and impressive resume. I can’t wait to chat with you about your experiences. But since my blog viewers have patiently waited so long for this day, would you mind beginning by telling us a little about the real Danny O. Snow?

Danny O. Snow: Thanks for the flattering introduction, but my story’s actually pretty simple: I’m a guy who has always loved books. As a youngster, I dreamed of becoming an author like Mark Twain. As a Lit major in college, I searched high and low for obscure, out-of-print books that were great, but not “commercial” enough for the big NY houses to keep in print. Then I worked for a traditional publishing company, and learned many reasons why the conventional book business simply doesn’t make sense. In the ‘nineties, the rise of the Internet and “Print-on-Demand” technology solved the two biggest problems: POD eliminated overprinting, while the Web gave writers a way to reach readers directly, bypassing “gatekeepers” such as publishers, wholesalers and bookstores. Finally, in 1999, I read Dan Poynter’s Self-Publishing Manual, which helped put the pieces of the puzzle together. I didn’t invent any of these things; I just saw an opportunity to use them in a new way.

Carol Denbow: So I understand you have recently released a book with co-author Dan Poynter. Can you tell us a little about the book?

Danny O. Snow: U-Publish.com is a quick read to help those getting started in the exciting world of self-publishing get off on the right foot. My co-author, Dan Poynter, is the “godfather” of the self-publishing movement, which is now booming. In U-Publish we simply cover the basics we’ve learned over the years to help newcomers avoid bush league mistakes and be more successful as independent publishers.

Carol Denbow: Many of my blog readers are opting to self-publish their books; and I encourage them to do so. But most end up using a POD publisher and pay a premium price just to see their book in print. It’s true that they can purchase their own books for about 50% of the cover price (correct me if I’m wrong), but is a 50% discount enough to sell your own books and still see a profit?

Danny O. Snow: Yes, I’ve read your Blog and recommend it in my newsletter. And yes, those who earn 50% of cover price can certainly make a profit. The difference is where the books are sold: Poynter and I emphasize outlets other than bookstores, which are ten times more numerous, easier to target, often pay more and pay faster than conventional booksellers. It’s all covered in our little book.

Carol Denbow: You are a publishing “expert”—you wrote the book, as they say. In your opinion, what is the best way to publish a book?

Danny O. Snow: The single most important tip I can offer is: use POD to prove the market for your book BEFORE you invest in bulk printing. Today, many writers with decent computer skills can start with “Do it Yourself” methods at CafePress, CreateSpace, Lulu, Wordclay, etc. at a fraction of the cost of vanity publishing. Then, when the book’s public appeal is objectively proven, they can feel more confident about investing in professional services and bulk printing for a lower per-unit cost.

Carol Denbow: I’m big on trying to persuade authors to market their books aggressively. What do you think is the biggest mistake authors make in marketing?

Danny O. Snow: Poor Targeting: many inexperienced authors seem obsessed with Amazon and chain stores. But we recommend more tightly targeted markets. Imagine a book about a relatively narrow topic like snorkeling … how many general bookstore customers are interested? Probably very few. But now imagine a boating supply shop, or a travel agency where people book trips to the Caribbean, or even a seaside motel… nearly ALL of their customers are potential readers! Self-publishers can tap specialty markets like these instead of general bookstore browsers for better results.

Carol Denbow: A Book Inside offers its viewers free e-mail notices each time a new informative article is posted. I saw on your Website that you offer a free newsletter. What is included in this newsletter and how would an interested viewer today go about signing up to receive it?

Danny O. Snow: Free preview: http://www.u-publish.com/monthly.htm
Free subscription: http://www.u-publish.com/enroll.htm

Carol Denbow: Do you have a Website and where might one of our viewers find your new book?

Danny O. Snow: Use the links above for the general edition, or you can get a special edition at Borders that’s customized specifically for their new “Borders Personal Publishing” program.

Carol Denbow: Well Danny, thank you so much for taking time out of your busy schedule to share this valuable information with us.

Danny O. Snow: Thank you too. In closing, I’d like to remind your audience that publishing a book is a process, not a one-time event. You’ve worked hard writing your book; please give it the chance for success it deserves by working equally hard AFTER publication. Literally thousands of authors have proven that it’s possible. Using the strategy summarized here, you can join us!

Carol Denbow: Visitors are more than welcome and encouraged to post comments and questions for Danny O. Snow and/or regarding this interview by using the comment link below (it’s small, so look hard!)

Please don’t forget, we now have a forum visitors can join free for writers to communicate with each other and discuss their writing, publishing experiences, and book marketing at http://abookinsideforum.ning.com

The "11/11/11" Book Tour Schedule

I understand this “virtual touring” can be a bit confusing; I’ve received a few e-mails from some “lost writers.” So let me try to guide you to the daily post.

Scroll down to today’s date. Then you will see what today’s topic is and where the tour stops. For instance if today is Friday, October 24, scroll down to Friday, October 24 and click on the link. This will take you to the Website who is hosting the stop for that day.

If you have further questions, please e-mail me at caroldenbow@gmail.com. I want you to get the most out of this tour!

Note: you can always see the post for any “previous” day of the tour, but upcoming discussions won’t be there until the actual day of the tour stop.

Wednesday, October 15, HERE OF COURSE (scroll down)!

Thursday, October 16, TOPIC – “Writing & Publishing Non-fiction” Visit Audrey’s Blog at http://www.freewebs.com/audreyheagney/audreysblog.htm?blogentryid=4107837

Friday, October 17, TOPIC – “Writing & Publishing Fiction” Visit Cute Writing: Creative Writing Help at http://cutewriting.blogspot.com/2008/10/interview-with-published-writer-carol.html

Saturday, October 18, TOPIC – “Marketing Mistakes”, Visit John Kremer’s Book Marketing Forum at http://bookmarket.ning.com/profiles/blog/show?id=523145%3ABlogPost%3A126787 (or see new blog posts)

Sunday, October 19, TOPIC –“Connecting With Your Market” Visit My Funny Dad, Harry Blog at www.karenzemek.blogspot.com

Monday, October 20 (LATE POST), TOPIC – “Writing as a Business” Visit Creatif at http://jensorganizedwriter.wordpress.com

Tuesday, October 21, TOPIC – “Marketing Discussion” Visit Plain & Simple Books at http://startabusiness101.blogspot.com

Wednesday, October 22, TOPIC – “Genre” Visit Writ, Written, Wrote at http://www.shellyhw.blogspot.com

Thursday, October 23, TOPIC – “General Discussion” Visit A Book Inside Forum at http://abookinsideforum.ning.com (see new blog posts)

Friday, October 24, TOPIC – “Publishing Options” Visit A Stress Free Life at http://astressfreelife.blogspot.com

Saturday, October 25, TOPIC – “Virtual Book Tours” Visit Book Marketing Maven Blog at www.bookmarketingmaven.com

Writer’s and Authors, PROMOTE YOUR BOOK EARLY!

Wait, hold on! Don’t leave just because you think this post topic doesn’t apply to you. So you haven’t published your book yet? Well this may be news to you; book marketing begins the day you begin to write! That’s correct, the very day you pick up the pen!

One of the biggest mistakes writers make is to wait until the day their book hits the stands to being their promotion efforts. Book promotion should begin at least six months before your book hits the stands and continue for at least three years to follow—especially in this new world of Internet marketing and sales. With it we have the ability to promote our book literally everywhere on this planet. It has been predicted that eighty percent of book purchasing will take place through the Internet by the year 2020. Personally, from the trend I’ve noticed recently, I feel it will be even sooner yet. Amazon.com is one of the best book-selling sites on the Internet and has expanded to include Joya Amazon.cn (Chinese), Amazon.fr (French), Amazon.de (German), and Amazon.co.jp (Japanese). Barnes & Noble booksellers online have followed suit with international sales. Their brick and mortar book stores now stock foreign publications as well, including Vogue Magazine in four different languages.

To gain world-wide exposure for a book, authors need to start early. The Internet is an interesting place. It’s like mold—it grows and expands slowly. It can take months, even years for one promotional article to reach its full audience potential.

So get out there now! Even if you’ve just started your manuscript—promote it! You’ll be surprised how well your book sells “hot off the press!”


Carol Denbow is the author of three books, including A Book Inside, How to Write, Publish, and Sell Your Story which includes 25 Unique Ways to Sell Your Story. Visit Carol’s Website at http://www.booksbydenbow.weebly.com/

Oh Happy Day!

As a writer, I think our happiest day is that when we first see our book in print. Oh, joy to see our name on the cover—our picture on the back—months, sometimes years of working towards this fulfilling goal. Today is that day for me. Even though this isn’t my first “happy day,” my emotions overflow and I am inspired.

It’s easy to begin a new writing project; we’re filled with hope and excitement as we sit down at the keyboard and begin our new and wondrous journey. Then it happens again, somewhere dead in the mist of it, we abandon it and tuck it away only to be found years later as we mutter the same old remarks under our breath, “why didn’t I finish this, it would have made a great book?”

Is it only human nature that we don’t finish what we begin? Are we stuck in a rut of incomplete projects? It’s easy to do. When the hope and excitement evolves into a “working” project, we lose interest. But if we can simply keep on pushing forward we will eventually see the end of the tunnel and become inspired once again.

I personally found that inspiration and “did” finish my book and I can tell you now, it’s worth the push! I’m proud to say; my new book is “A Book Inside, How to Write, Publish, and Sell Your Story” and today is my happy day!

Be inspired, keep your hope alive, and sit down and write something!

A Quick Guide to ISBNs for Self-Publishers

By Jennifer Tribe

ISBN stands for International Standard Book Number. It is a code assigned to every published book that uniquely identifies it in the marketplace. ISBNs make it easier and more efficient for libraries, booksellers and others in the publishing industry to order, distribute and catalog books.

When To Use an ISBN:

You need to assign an ISBN to any content you intend to distribute through outside channels such as bookstores, catalogues or libraries. ISBNs should be placed on

-- print books

-- electronic books

-- videos

-- audio cassettes and CDs

-- CD-ROMs, and

-- other items as detailed by the International ISBN Agency.

You need to issue a separate ISBN for each edition of your book and for every format. For example, if you issued the same book as a print book, e-book, audio book and Braille book, you would require a separate identifier for each. If one year later, you updated the manuscript and re-issued the book, you would assign new ISBNs to this second edition in each of its different formats.

Deciphering the Numbering System

All ISBNs are currently 10 digits. (The industry will slowly be transitioning to a 13-digit system starting in 2005. See ISBN for more information on the change.)

The digits identify:

-- the group (country, area or language area of the publisher)

-- the publisher, and

-- the title of the item.

The last digit is a check digit.

The group number is comprised of one to three digits. Zero is the number for the English language group that includes the United States, English-speaking Canada, the U.K., Australia and other countries.

The publisher number is comprised of two to seven digits. The more ISBNs a publisher uses, the small their publisher number.

Publishers that use more than 100,000 ISBNs are given a publisher number of only two digits. If you apply for 10 or fewer ISBNs, you will be assigned a publisher number with seven digits. Everyone else falls somewhere in the middle.

Thus anyone in the book trade can look at an ISBN and know roughly how big you are as a publisher by the number of ISBNs you have applied to use. This is why self-publishing gurus like Dan Poynter recommend acquiring your ISBNs in blocks of 100 to avoid being labeled “small potatoes.”

Poynter further recommends that you use an ISBN from the middle of your list of 100 for your first book, since a 0 or 1 as your title number will reveal you as a first-timer.

The check digits range from one to 10. Since there is space for only one check digit, the number 10 is represented by an X.

How To Acquire ISBNs

ISBNs in the United States are administered by R.R. Bowker. Bowker charges a fee to process your application. Ten ISBNs cost $225; 100 ISBNs cost $800. Visit www.bowker.com for more information, or to complete an application.

ISBNs in Canada are administered by the National Public Library as a free service. Visit http://www.nlc-bnc.ca/isbn/index-e.html for more information or to apply on-line.

For more information on the ISBN system and how it works, visit www.isbn.org.

About The Author

Juiced Consulting helps business owners package what they know into information products –- such as books, audiotapes and teleclasses –- that they can sell to generate new business revenue. For a free newsletter and other resources, visit http://www.juicedconsulting.com/.

jtribe@juicedconsulting.com

Article Source: Ezine Articles

Vol. 8 / The Importance of a Great Book Cover Design

The Front Cover

In the old days, books were sold without a cover and buyers would bind them according to their own desires or needs. Now, the books cover has become one of the most important selling components to a book. Over half of booksellers feel the cover design is the most important component.

If you are accepted by a traditional publishing house, they will design a book cover for your book. If you use a POD (print on demand) publisher, you can hire them to design a cover, or you can submit your own design. When you self-publish you either hire a freelance cover designer or design your own.

The average person spends 8 seconds looking at the front cover and 15 seconds on the back. It is a fact, that the front cover of a book is what draws the initial attention from the buyer, if he doesn’t like the cover, he won’t look any closer at the book.

There are specific points to a cover which seem to attract the most attention. The title, size and clarity of the text, the colors, and the size of the book are amongst the top four. Make sure your title not only represents the books contents, but is clear and comprehendible to the potential buyer. The color red seems to attract the most attention to book covers. But since red is also the color most commonly associated with danger, depending on your title and subject matter, red may not be an appropriate color for your book. The size of the book is not so relevant as long as the colors are good and the title is the appropriate size for the books cover. Children’s books may be the exception to “size matters.” Children prefer larger books with many colors on the cover.

Take a trip to the library and pick out several books of different sizes and colors. If you lay them all out together and stand back six or eight feet, you will notice which sizes and colors attract your attention best. To get more feedback for you own book, pick only books similar to your subject matter. Your books title should be easily readable from at least six feet away.

An average of 13 hours is spent designing a book cover. The cost of a professionally designed cover can be as low as $500 and as much as $3,500. It could cost less if you already have artwork picked out, or if you have a good idea of what you want the cover to look like.

The back cover

Since 15 seconds are spent by the average person looking at the back cover of your book, you need to be sure it will sell the book. The buyer is looking at the back cover for a reason to buy the book. He will want to know what the book is about, who’s endorsing it, and why. He also wants to know how the book will solve his issue, whatever that may be; or how the book will entertain him. If all his questions are answered effectively, he will then briefly scroll through the book; now he may buy.

For non-fiction books, your back cover description should start by asking a question about the book subject, or address the problem that the book was written to resolve. For instance, a book about stress-relief might start with “Do you often feel stressed?” Follow that by explaining briefly how your book will solve that problem, or what the potential buyer will learn by reading your book. In other words, how will your book benefit the reader? Most likely, there are other books similar to yours, look at their back covers to see how they have formatted them and what information might attract the reader, then improve on that. Give the reader a reason to choose YOUR book instead of another.

For a fiction book, your back cover should lure the reader into wanting more. An intriguing lead into what lies ahead, but only to those who buy your book.

Testimonials sell books. You should have testimonials from professionals willing to endorse your book included on the back cover. Testimonials for your book should be done by professionals related to the book’s subject matter. If you have written a medical journal, you’re testimonials should be written by medical professionals. If the subject matter is golf, your book should include testimonials from golf professionals, and so on.

Include your bio on the back cover or inside the jacket cover. People like to see a photo of the author as well. They want to be able to relate to you and what you are saying in the book; it makes their reading experience more personal. In your bio, tell them why you are qualified to write this book and why you wrote it.

Make a professional looking picture of your books front and back cover for all promoting and advertizing. JPG is the most popular and most requested format to use when adding an image to online ads and promotion sites.

Take your time to present a well formatted and attractive book cover and you will see positive results when your book is released.

Resources:
Covers Sell Books

E-zine Author: Carol Denbow
Visit Carol’s new website at www.BooksByDenbow.Weebly.com

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Copyright © May 2008 by Plain & Simple Books, LLC
All rights reserved. The text of this publication, or any part thereof, may not be reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission from the publisher.

We are always happy to share the information provided in our e-zine as long as credits are included. For reprint permission please e-mail cdenbow@plainandsimplebooks.com